Haunted
by mizzshy
Summary: When Kaoru dies, Hikaru feels like his life is over along with his twin's. Is it possible to get it back? Rating and title may change.
1. Chapter 1

**Ouran Fanfiction**

**Haunted**

**Chapter 1**

**Author's notes:**

Ladies and gentlemen, I present another fanfiction from my very strange mind. I really don't remember the inspiration for this one. I might have had a dream or something, but I felt compelled to write this. I'm really not normally this morbid, it's just good material to write about!

The title of this is completely subject to change because the one I have right now just isn't very interesting. -.-

WARNING: Character death, strange goings-on in later chapters, and probably highly non-canon.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Ouran.

* * *

"Hikaru? I'm just going across the street to get a doughnut. You want one?"

Hikaru turned his head to look at Kaoru and nodded. "With extra cream?"

"Of course." Kaoru grinned and kissed his brother swiftly on the cheek. "Back in a sec."

Hikaru watched his twin go with a small smile on his face and the memory of his brother's fingers still tingling on his palm. Leaning nonchalantly against a lamp-post, he allowed his thoughts to drift and wander.

He never would have guessed what was to happen next. Or that the words the twins had only just exchanged would be ones Hikaru would never forget.

Five minutes passed, and then Kaoru's strawberry-blonde head reappeared. Hikaru smiled over, waving. Kaoru brandished the bag of doughnuts and glanced up and down the quiet road.

What happened next always remained a blur for Hikaru. He remembered almost everything, but the whole situation was such that it was always foggy.

Probably because he never wanted to remember.

What he definitely did remember was Kaoru stepping out into the road, having checked both ways and seeing no cars coming.

And then.

And then there was the swerving noise of rubber on ground and a metallic monster, a furious scarlet colour like rage, came hurtling round the corner.

Fast.

Too fast.

Too fast for Kaoru.

Hikaru always remembered the sickening crunch of metal hitting body and the sight of Kaoru being thrown into the air and then landing with a thump on the road.

And then.

And then there were screaming shouts. Hikaru's own, those of passers-by.

Not remembering having moved his legs, Hikaru was there. Pushing through the people clustered around, fighting a path to Kaoru, to where he could feel his brother's life was in that way only they knew.

And then.

And then he was kneeling on the tarmac, exposed knees scraping open but did it really matter? He scrabbled for Kaoru's hand, leaned in close to hover his face over Kaoru's, too shocked to do anything but continually whisper Kaoru's name and unintelligible things that made sense to no one, not even himself. He felt as though life had just blown an enormous hole in him, and the only way to fix it was to hear Kaoru speak, to know that he was there, still there, like always.

But.

But Kaoru was already disappearing, and Hikaru could feel it.

Then he was angry.

"You're not leaving, do you hear that Kaoru?!" he shouted at his brother. "You can't go! You can't, you can't, you..."

A sob was torn from his lips and he had to pause, had to suck in air hard.

"Kaoru, stay with me." The order came feebly; his sobs ate his words, swallowing them greedily. "You can't go... Kaoru..." _I need you._

Other people were clutching at Hikaru's shoulders, trying to say comforting things to him, to calm perhaps. It wasn't calming. It felt like they were preying on him; vultures, trying to get something from his misery. Probably some kind of sense of personal satisfaction from knowing that they had 'helped' a person whose sorrow could never be alleviated.

Kaoru's half-closed eyelids moved very slightly and Hikaru felt the stab of hope go to his heart. He clutched more firmly at Kaoru's hand, bringing it up to his lips. "Kaoru," he whispered, kissing the grazed knuckles gently and carefully. "Kaoru, come on, you can do this; you don't have to leave. If you can only see that, you'll stay. Come on Kaoru. I know you can. Please..."

He was trembling now, and it was only at this point that he allowed himself to look at his twin's condition. One leg was bent weirdly, out to one side, and there were cuts to Kaoru's forehead, arms and legs. Other than that, the younger twin looked almost normal.

An ambulance arrived, throwing blue light onto Kaoru's pale visage so that he looked almost as cold as his hand felt. Hikaru was pushed to one side and jostled, but never let go of Kaoru's icy fingers, sure that his strength was all that kept his brother alive right then.

"Kaoru, I won't leave," he murmured- promised- softly, clinging to his brother's hand and still trying to let the ambulance people through to do their job. They were clustered around now, saying loud, technical things that made no sense to Hikaru. One was talking to him, asking questions and pulling on his arms. But he said nothing, concentrating only on trying to keep Kaoru alive somehow, merely by clutching to his fingers.

Eventually, a stretcher and gurney were brought out and Hikaru allowed the paramedics to load his brother onto the ambulance. One last glance at the scene shocked the elder twin. Where Kaoru had been was covered in blood, a grisly scarlet pool that made him need to swallow hard and feel icy shivers up and down his spine. There was white stuff- cream, Hikaru realised, from the doughnuts- sitting in the red, becoming a strange, pinkish colour and slowly dissolving into the still-warm scarlet substance. It was a sight to make Hikaru feel sick as he climbed into the ambulance, taking Kaoru's hand again before a few paramedics gathered round again and his view was obstructed.

At the hospital, he was told that he really couldn't stay with Kaoru and, despite his protests, was left in a random waiting room somewhere, the absence of his twin's hand from his own making him feel strangely incomplete and odd.

What felt like- but probably wasn't- hours later, a doctor with a rather careworn face came through into the room.

"Master Hitachiin?" he asked, approaching Hikaru, who looked up silently. "I need to speak with you. Follow me."

Hikaru was led to an office and sat down across from the doctor, glancing briefly at the posters on the walls warning about the dangers of smoking and drugs.

"I'm afraid I have some bad news," said the doctor, brining Hikaru's attention back to him with a start. "Kaoru- your brother... He didn't make it. He was pronounced dead ten minutes ago."

Hikaru stared at the doctor, his tongue between his teeth and his lips closed, a prickling feeling in his eyes.

"He had severe internal bleeding and massive head trauma," continued the doctor. "One of his legs was broken and the impact was a great shock to his system. The paramedics thought that they might be able to save him when he was at the scene, but after he was taken off here he seemed to simply stop living."

Hikaru was now shaking from cold and repressed emotions.

_Kaoru... dead... Kaoru... dead... Kaoru... _dead_..._

"I know this sort of thing is difficult to digest," added the doctor, mistaking Hikaru's silence.

"No..." the redhead finally rasped.

"No?" The doctor looked concerned.

"Kaoru's not dead," Hikaru replied simply. "He can't be dead."

"I'm afraid he can." The doctor's tone was gentle. He was familiar with denial.

"Then... let me see him."

"Are you sure you want to?"

"Y... Yes."

"It can be extremely upsetting-"

"I _said_ I want to."

The doctor nodded and took Hikaru to a nearby room. Kaoru was lying on his back, like he had been on the road, but this time it was on an operating table, and his eyes were fully closed. Hikaru could feel his teeth chattering in the immense cold that penetrated this room and turned to the doctor.

"Please leave us in peace."

The doctor looked worried, glancing quickly to check that there was nothing sharp in the room and, once he'd ascertained that it was safe to leave Hikaru here alone, nodded and left. Hikaru stepped forward to Kaoru.

He looked dead. There was no other word for it. Whoever it was that had said that death looked peaceful was a liar. Kaoru resembled a wax doll, something that looked as though it had never been alive, or- if they _had_ been alive- had had their life ripped from them prematurely. Which he had.

But maybe...

"Kaoru, open your eyes," Hikaru commanded calmly.

No response.

"Kaoru? Kaoru, open your eyes."

No response.

"Wake up!"

No response.

Maybe he really was...

"No, no, you're _not_ dead! You're _not_ dead, you hear me?"

The words came out choked, and as Hikaru leaned over Kaoru's lifeless form, tears dropped down to land on his face, in his hair, and on his clothes.

"Kaoru... Please don't be dead..." Hikaru wept; every time he blinked, more tears fell. "I need you here. I can't live without you. I'll die... I'll _die_!"

Hikaru's face was buried in Kaoru's chest- through the clothes his brother was stone cold.

"Kaoru... Kaoru... If you are dead, I can't bear it. Haunt me! Follow me! Plague me! It was my fault you died anyway! If I hadn't asked for that doughnut- that stupid, _stupid_ doughnut- you wouldn't have died! So please... Please haunt me... If I never see you again, I'll _die_!"

He was half-sobbing, half-shouting, and his numb fingers were clinging desperately to Kaoru, to his shoulders, arms and clothes.

"Kaoru..."

Leaning up and still crying, Hikaru carefully kissed his brother's cold lips, then crumpled to the floor and gave himself over to simple, heartbroken weeping.


	2. Chapter 2

Ouran Fanfiction

**Ouran Fanfiction**

**Haunted**

**Chapter 2**

**Author's notes:**

Okay, chapter two of this completely random and nonsensical rubbish. 8D I'm really sorry if some of this comes out sounding too much like _Wuthering Heights_. I intended that slightly, but perhaps not to the degree that it does. Some of the wording just sounds so odd... I'm sorry if it makes it hard to read. There's only so many ways of describing certain things. n.n;

Anyway, leave reviews if you like. I'm not entirely sure what will happen in later chapters, but I have a vague idea... Suggestions will all be read and considered!

WARNING: Character death, strange goings-on in later chapters, and probably highly non-canon.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Ouran, much to my chagrin.

---

Seven weeks later, Hikaru sat at his computer and stared at a blank word document on-screen. His eyes were red and puffy; daily crying and nightly insomnia had made them this way. The stinging in them had become a fixture of such permanence that he was used to it and no longer bothered with the eye drops he had used for a while, taking the pain as some kind of small, inadequate punishment for letting Kaoru die. He blamed himself entirely for it and it seemed to others that he never thought of much else.

In school these days, he sat silently in lessons, no longer 'Hikaru Hitachiin: one half of the famous Hitachiin twins, loved by the majority of the girls in the school for their forbidden brotherly love act'. Now he was merely 'Hikaru Hitachiin: single, lonely, broken person, still beating himself up over the death of his brother'. People tended to avoid him these days; his rather violent outburst at the first girl who had attempted to 'cheer him up' after his return to school had cemented his reputation as unapproachable and mercurial.

He no longer had any designators in the host club, for most of the girls were fickle and others easily led, and one half of something is never as good as a whole thing. During host club time, he sat in the corner, normally staring at a single spot on the floor and not blinking for up to a minute at a time. The sounds of the host club, at first quiet after his return to school but gradually returning to normal as time went by, did not permeate his state of strange consciousness. He was left to wallow in his little, isolated world, where he thought of little else but that fact that it was his fault that Kaoru had died.

He spoke rarely, only saying what was necessary and never initiating conversation with anyone, at school or at home. His schoolwork had suffered horrifically: his grades, which had always remained carefully high, were now all failing, even in subject he'd enjoyed. It was fortunate that he was heir to a business already- the way he was going, he'd have had to work two or three jobs just to live in the future if he hadn't been so privileged.

His life at home had also taken a bad turn. After the funeral- a quiet affair where only family were in attendance- and the memorial service- more garish, and with more people, including the other hosts and various other students from important or useful backgrounds- Hikaru had stayed home from school for three weeks, drifting miserably through the rooms of the mansion like some grim spectre. The maids did not know what to make of it; young master Hikaru had never in his life been so silent. The mischievous spark that had been ever-present in his golden eyes was now gone, leaving dead-looking, hazel-coloured orbs and a pale, drawn-looking face that nobody recognised. His parents were at a loss as to what to do with him. They had offered to buy him things but he had made no reply. They had suggested a trip, some time away, and he had stayed unspeaking. They had asked him what would help and he had simply stared at them out of tormented eyes, prompting mirrored silence from them. It was like looking at a half-person and it frightened them so much that they shrank away and left him, mourning both of their sons.

Presently, Hikaru rubbed his poor, sore eyes and stared for a while longer at the computer screen, thinking. He did not like to think much these days, preferring to mope, but now he was confused. He was not sure why he had gone to his computer and opened a word document, but thought that it was probably homework of some kind or another.

Having neglected that kind of thing recently, he was not certain of which homework he was meant to be doing. His watch beeped to announce that it was two in the morning and he ducked down under the desk to rummage through his schoolbag, trying to find the notebook he kept homework notes in. As he was searching, he heard a _click_ above him, as though from the computer's mouse, and then _tap_s, more _tap_s.

Alarmed, he sat up suddenly to look at the computer screen, head colliding with the underside of the desk as he went. Rubbing the surprisingly sore patch- he'd forgotten what physical pain was- he stared at the single word on the screen.

_Hikaru_, it said. Nothing else, just his name.

He blinked several times, knowing that no one else was in the room. After a moment, he shrugged. He must have typed his name on the document before going through his bag, he reasoned. Ducking down again, he searched some more through his bag, trying to ignore the cold in the room.

But he heard it again. More clicks, more typing, spaces, a whole sentence.

Feeling highly uneasy at this point, he sat up again, slowly this time, fixing his eyes on the screen.

_Hikaru_, it now said, _I've come back Hikaru._

Hikaru's eyes grew wider than ever before. This was truly strange. Those words had _definitely_ not been written by him. Unless he was possessed or something, which he would not discount right now.

His heart was in his mouth as his jaw opened slightly and he breathed softly. "What?"

More clicks; his eyes jumped to the keyboard, where the keys were tapping up and down, apparently of their own volition, making more words appear on-screen. _Don't be scared._

Perhaps it was the fact that he had not been really living for the past age, but he was not afraid. He felt a kind of dim confusion, like when he woke up in the night and was still half-dreaming.

The screen now added, _It's me. I've come back._

Hikaru blinked some more and wrapped his arms around himself, shivering with the cold.

"Who?" he asked quietly, not daring to allow the surge of hope in his heart overwhelm him.

There was more typing, a single word this time:

_Kaoru._

Hikaru's eyes grew wider, the cold escalated and his heart picked up speed. "Kaoru?" Tears sprang to the only Hitachiin son's eyes and his mouth opened in hopeful agony. "Where? Where are-"

He was cut off by more typing and saw more words appear on the screen:

_Look behind you._

Instantly, he span the computer chair around, eyes darting to the end of the bed and alighting on Kaoru.

Kaoru...

He... he was here... He was really, really here! The hopeful tears in Hikaru's cried-out eyes spilled and turned joyful, disbelieving, astounded. His now-slight frame lifted from the chair, even before he'd had any thought about moving, and slowly he approached the figure perched casually on the en of his- no... _their_- bed.

_If this is a dream... Let me sleep forever._

He was in front of Kaoru, teary eyes wide as he took in the completely familiar and unchanged appearance of Kaoru. _His_ Kaoru. His beloved brother, his amazing twin, his gorgeous...

"Kaoru..." he whispered, not wanting to ruin this moment ever because this was a miracle; it should not be ruined by him any more than that one car on that one day ruined his life forever... until now. "Is it... really you?"

And then Kaoru smiled that beautiful, beautiful smile and Hikaru knew his answer before it was even nodded.

"It's me... Really, Hikaru."

"Kaoru!"

The following few minutes were a confused mixture of hugs and tears and kisses. Hikaru had no idea what was going on; Kaoru was- much as he hated to admit it- dead and every single sensible cell in his body told him that this _should not be_. He'd seen them bury Kaoru himself, he'd been to the funeral, he'd seen him die. _This_ did not logically follow.

"H... how?" Hikaru eventually breathed, his arms still around his freezing cold twin. "I don't... I don't understand."

They came apart slowly, unfolding themselves like a flower opening to light but still holding hands like they had for sixteen years, and Kaoru smiled a small, slightly sad, smile.

"I'm _here_... But _I_'m not here. If that makes sense..."

It made no sense; Hikaru exchanged Kaoru's sheepish look with one of confusion and watched his brother sigh.

"I guess the best way to put it is that I'm a ghost, but not a stereotypical one," Kaoru explained.

Hikaru blinked several times, still only half-believing that Kaoru was back. "But... I can feel you..."

And he could. Their hands were still intertwined and he knew that he had not imagined their earlier embrace (if he took all that had happened so far to be real in the first place). No... Kaoru was not a ghost. Not properly.

"I can feel you and you can feel me because I want it this way," put in Kaoru. "I can also move things without touching them and hear some people's thoughts."

Hikaru paused. "Can you hear _my_ thoughts?" he asked cautiously. He was not sure if he liked that idea, despite everything.

Kaoru grinned. "You're my twin; I don't need to be able to hear your thoughts."

Hikaru frowned. "You're avoiding the question."

Kaoru looked at him sadly, raising one hand to Hikaru's face to trail an icy finger down his cheek and along his jaw. "I missed you," he said softly.

Hikaru forgot all else but that hand, raising his own free hand to hold Kaoru's to his face as they sat down on the bed. "I missed you too... So much..." he murmured quietly, not wanting to remember those dark days now that his light had returned.

"I know," replied Kaoru, taking his hand down with Hikaru's. "I've been here for a while..."

Hikaru was startled. "Why didn't you come back for me earlier?" he asked, unable to help the accusatory note that slipped into his voice. "Couldn't you see how much I needed you?"

Kaoru nodded, touching his brother's face again, as if to soothe. Hikaru's sudden worry and surprise ebbed away somewhat with the cold touch and he focused on his brother's face.

"I wanted to, but I couldn't work out how," replied the spirit. "I wasn't sure what I was doing wrong. And then I didn't know how to reveal myself."

"Can anyone else see you?"

"I don't think so... But everyone shivers whenever I go by so I think they can sense me on some level."

Hikaru nodded. "It's been kind of cold recently. I thought it was just me."

Kaoru half-smiled. "So then I thought: if I could break the news to you in some other way than just appearing, I'd manage it. And it worked."

Hikaru stared at Kaoru again, drinking in his brother now lest this turn out to only be a dream later on.

"It's okay," soothed Kaoru. "I'm not going anywhere..."

"So you _can_ hear my thoughts?!" Hikaru was surprised.

"Hikaru, I don't need to hear them to know what you're thinking," Kaoru repeated. "I know you, and your expression tells me everything."

"Oh..."

"I also know that you're tired. Come on, you need some sleep."

Hikaru was reluctant, but changed and climbed into bed. "What if you disappear? What will I do?"

Kaoru put a hand to Hikaru's cheek again reassuringly. "I won't. I promise."

Uneasily, Hikaru lay down, not wanting or intending to fall asleep. However, the feel of Kaoru beside him, cold as he was, was comforting and he fell quickly into a deep sleep.

"Don't worry Hikaru," Kaoru whispered. "We'll be together forever."

He pressed his cold lips to Hikaru's.

"_You'll see_."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**Author's notes:**

Chapter three of _Haunted_ for you all. I hope you like it.

I'm not sure what to say about this chapter. It's kind of setting things up for the plot later on but to be perfectly honest I'm still not decided on an ending for this story. I have three ways I could go but I'm still trying to find one which is perfect.

WARNING: Character death, strange goings-on in later chapters, and probably highly non-canon.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Ouran. I'm just playing.

---

The following morning Hikaru woke up for the first time in what felt like forever. Well, it had been a while since he last remembered waking up. He remembered barely anything from the past seven weeks, really. The last he remembered before now was the hospital, holding Kaoru's cold body to himself and crying more than he ever had in his entire life. He frowned at this, rolling back over in his bed and wondering how he had managed to get to sleep in bed for once. Usually he would drop off for short periods of time in random places around the Hitachiin mansion. Then the bloody red car would come back and he would jerk awake.

Through the slight confusion that comes with waking and his muggy, reluctant thoughts, he remembered yesterday... last night? What was special about that? What had...?

Suddenly he felt his breath catch in his throat. Had that...? Did he...? Was... Was Kaoru...?

Hardly daring to hope, Hikaru sat bolt upright in one swift, sudden movement. He looked about the room desperately. It was empty... No!

He caught sight of Kaoru, though hovering by the pale light coming through the window seemed to make him look more transparent than Hikaru had first noticed. He looked just the same, turning his head to look over at his living twin, a small smile on his lovely face.

"Kaoru..."

Kaoru grinned, abandoning the window and sitting down on the bed by Hikaru's knees. "Morning."

Hikaru exhaled in relief and fell back against his pillows. "You're real," he sighed, more to himself than to the ghost on his bed.

Kaoru chuckled. "Yep, real as real. Don't worry – I won't leave you."

Hikaru smiled and checked the time. "I have to get ready for school," he murmured.

The idea of school seemed less daunting today, with Kaoru around. However there was still some apprehension in the elder twin.

"Kaoru?" he asked, still looking at the clock.

"Yes?"

"Come with me?"

"Of course."

The twins exchanged one of their old smiles and Hikaru felt the weight on his shoulders pull off him a little.

---

School was easier. That was an understatement but Hikaru felt it was true.

Getting ready was easier. Kaoru made the usual jokes with Hikaru while the latter pulled on a freshly-laundered uniform and brushed his hair. Kaoru was still wearing the clothes he had been wearing when... from seven weeks ago. It was strange, Hikaru thought, to imagine the real counterparts to the garments were now gone, disposed of and covered in blood.

For the funeral Kaoru – well, his _corpse_ – had been dressed in a smart black suit designed by their mother, a matching one of which Hikaru had worn. He had wondered if it had been meant as some kind of comfort but if it had, it had not been one.

But now it was easier, Hikaru realised as he ate light, fluffy croissants – imported from Paris – and the maids marvelled at the change in the young man. He was eating again and there was a smile about him. It was odd that he seemed to be exchanging it with the air beside him though.

The ride to school was easier. Hikaru had spent weeks sitting as quietly as air in the back of the car, something the driver had understood and grown accustomed to, even if it was out of character for his charge.

The elder twin had become increasingly wary of traffic too. Whenever he saw a figure or group of figures loitering by the side of the road he clutched the edge of his seat, instructing the driver to stop and allow them to cross, no matter how many cars were held up in the meantime. Whenever a cyclist passed the car a little too closely, Hikaru would catch his breath and tense up nervously until the cyclist was out of sight.

But now it was easier. Hikaru talked to Kaoru just like always, only realising that he was worrying the driver the tenth time the man looked over his shoulder at him. Kaoru laughed as Hikaru bit his lip, taking his brother's hand in his own, cold fingers.

School itself was easier. In classes Hikaru had been distracted and quiet, the empty seat beside him a constant, terrible reminder of the constant, terrible circumstances he was in. Every second of every hour of every day reminded him anew that Kaoru was gone, and not just to the toilet or elsewhere as mundane, but gone forever, gone from his own life and Hikaru's. Gone.

But now it was easier. Haruhi sat on one side of Hikaru and on the other remained an apparently empty seat. In reality – as loose a term as that was, given the circumstances – Kaoru sat there, comforting to Hikaru merely in his presence and proximity. It was almost like Kaoru had never been hit by that stupid car.

Everyone noticed a change in Hikaru. He looked much happier than he had and he was talking again. As though he had changed overnight – which, really, he had – his manner had changed back from solitary and sad to jokey and happy. Words and whispers passed up and down the corridors of the school about him, such was the magnitude of this change.

It was especially evident during hosting how he had changed. Girls hesitantly approached him, spurred on by the talk of the day, and instead of slinking away again they were welcomed in with a genuine little smile from Hikaru. Kaoru perched on the back of Hikaru's armchair, giving him ideas for random phrases to say which were relayed to the girls; he had always been the better twin at knowing things to say to the patrons.

Most of the girls had questions for Hikaru about his brother, however out of either respect or concern not many of them were asked. Kaoru could tell – with his new capacity for reading thoughts – what they wanted to ask though, and so Hikaru answered questions, both asked and unasked. Of course, answers did not come without a certain degree of conflict. Hikaru became a little more upset and uncomfortable when they asked about the accident itself. He could remember the crimson vehicle, Kaoru's body, the hospital... Then just overwhelming cold.

The police were still searching for the driver who had killed Kaoru. They were searching for the car and when they did there would be an inquest. Kaoru had said nothing about this since appearing and Hikaru was not sure if it was something he should ask about.

However he could not dwell on that now. He told them a little of what had happened, as much as he could handle with Kaoru's fingers trailing cold calmness down his face, reducing most of the girls to touched tears. They offered him condolences, things he had heard so much of in the past few weeks, and he accepted them graciously.

When the session drew to a close and the girls had gone, Kyouya approached Hikaru.

"You did well today," he told him with the smallest of smiles. "It's good to see you yourself getting back together without him."

Hikaru smiled back, thinking to himself that he never needed to be 'without him' again – Kaoru was standing right next to him as always – and wondering how much of Kyouya's manner towards him came from the impressive turnaround in his profit margin.

The elder twin was about to leave, making whispered conversation with Kaoru as he packed his bag. He turned to go and found himself face to face with Haruhi.

"Oh... hi, Haruhi." _How much did she hear?_

"Hello," she replied, a concerned look on her face as she looked up at him. "Um... who were you just talking to?"

_Damn_. "Oh, no-one. Just... myself."

Haruhi raised her eyebrows but did not push it any further. "I just wanted to say I'm glad you're getting back to normal. You were practically catatonic before. It was understandable but it's a relief to see you better than you were." She smiled up at him warmly.

Kaoru was silent beside him as Hikaru grinned back. "Well I feel much better."

She nodded and put a comforting hand on his upper arm, saying a quiet, "It gets easier, I promise."

With a few parting words they separated and Hikaru and Kaoru went out to the car. The journey home was subdued and Hikaru guessed that Kaoru was not talking to save Hikaru from embarrassment; he had been caught talking to thin air far too often today.

However, after dinner, when they were safely ensconced in their room, Kaoru remained silent, sitting at the foot of the bed.

"Kaoru..." Hikaru needed to talk. He had been listening to Kaoru's voice all day and this sudden quiet unnerved him. "Kaoru, are you okay?"

Kaoru nodded, not looking at Hikaru, who was leaning against the headboard of the bed with a schoolbook in his lap.

"Are you sure?" asked Hikaru. "You look kind of... surly."

Kaoru nodded again, suddenly crawling up to where Hikaru was sitting and putting a hand on his jaw. "I'm just thinking. I want you to go to bed early tonight. You've lost a lot of sleep and I'm worried."

Later, when Hikaru was tucked up in bed next to his ghostly twin, a thought occurred to him: Kaoru was probably quiet because he was unhappy at being dead while Hikaru was still alive.

As cold fingers stroked once again down his face, lulling him into sleep, the living twin made a resolution: _I'll make him happier. He won't ever be so sad again. As long as I live._


End file.
